Total Station Surveys

Total station surveys are a precise laser method of mapping accident scenes or vehicle damage profiles. This technology originated from the civil engineering and land surveying professions but has found its way into useful applications in traffic accident investigation, reconstruction and analysis. The total station instrument is secured on a tripod and "shots" are taken of relevant points of interest.

At an accident scene, the points may define fixed references such as lane demarcations, curb lines, sign locations, slope, buildings or other roadside features. In addition, remnant scene physical evidence can be precisely measured, such as tiremarks or gougemarks.

With respect to vehicles, 3-D damage profiles of the subject vehicles and/or profiles of undamaged exemplar vehicles can be documented and compared.

The information obtained in the field from total station surveys can quickly be transferred to a computer to generate two dimensional or three dimensional accurate drawings. The three dimensional measurements can also be used in animation or simulation programs to render a more realistic computational or visual portrayal.